Five engineering students at Johns Hopkins University have developed a prosthetic foot with an ankle that can adjust to accommodate many different heel heights.

BALTIMORE — Angela Manning lost her left leg to diabetic vascular disease but it didn’t stop her from wearing chunky, colorful, attention-grabbing high heels.

“I just ordered five pairs, and they are gorgeous,” the former corrections officer said. “I love my heels.”

Manning, 52, wears heels only when sitting in her wheelchair because she isn’t sure she could balance in one on her prosthetic. Plus, the prosthetics on the market now aren’t made to fit the sky-high heels she favors.

Five engineering students at Johns Hopkins University may have a solution for women like Manning, who miss the joy of fashionable footwear after losing legs or feet. They have developed a prosthetic foot with an ankle that can adjust to accommodate many different heel heights.

“Women with prosthetics are now limited to what shoes they can wear,” said Joey Tilson, one of the students. “This allows them to wear almost any type of shoe they decide.”

Their design, which they call “Prominence,” is not the first high-heeled prosthetic, but the current choices are limited and the Hopkins model could be the most versatile and advanced.

Currently, amputees can get custom-made prostheses for high heels. There are a few off-the-shelf models on the market, but none of them can adjust for heels beyond 2-inches, lower than many women who like high heels want.

The students tested their model on a pair of 4-inch gold strappy heels and said it has the potential to support even taller shoes.

Not being able to wear high heels may seem like a small inconvenience compared with the drastic life changes that amputees endure. But therapists and prosthetists say it is a common concern among female amputees, yet many insurance companies won’t cover them because they are not considered a necessity.

Anne Mekalian’s favorite shoe style is anything with a heel, but as a double amputee the 70-year-old’s prosthetics don’t allow her to wear footwear that is higher than a quarter inch.

She misses the days when she could dress up in fancy heels.

“I once wore them every day, all day,” she said, dishearteningly. “I don’t like practical-looking shoes. I don’t like tennis shoes. They are for running and tennis.”

There is a growing demand for more prosthetic options as amputees have become less embarrassed by their conditions, those in the field say. For example, some prosthetic feet are built with a toe slit so people can wear sandals.

“People aren’t trying to hide their prosthetics like they once did,” said Rebekah Spielman, global marketing manager for prosthetics manufacturer College Park Industries. “There is a sense of community, being proud of who you are and showing off your metal.”

College Park Industries, based in Michigan, manufactures one of what they said are three models of high-heeled prosthetics on the market. Some men also buy the prosthetic to wear with cowboy boots.

Spielman said it can take years to make, test and bring a prosthetic to market. A high-heeled prosthetic needs to be robust, but flexible and comfortable, she said.

Despite improvements in prosthetics design, the Hopkins students found that the options for women were few and that most are built for men’s feet. Yet 46.6 percent of all amputations in 2013 were performed on women.